It doesn’t matter if it’s an extensive dog bone surgery or regular neutering, as knowing your pet requires surgical treatment can already be worrying and distressing for anyone. Every pet parent wants their furry babies to be cared for by skilled, knowledgeable, and competent vet surgeons, and nothing is wrong with that. However, there are a few reminders you must keep in mind before taking your pet in for surgery.
Let’s tackle how you must prepare your furry buddy for a successful surgical treatment.
How to Prepare Your Dog for Surgery
Whether your furry buddy is scheduled for complicated orthopedic surgery or a simple spay and neuter, you might get nervous and do everything possible to ensure your pet’s surgical treatment goes efficiently and hassle-free. This is why we’ve collected five pre-surgery care suggestions you should do to reduce your worries and confidently take in your pet on their surgery day.
1. Refrain from giving them food and water on the surgery day
A vital thing you must do the morning of your pet’s surgery is to ensure they do not have access to water and food. This is because eating and drinking may cause them to aspirate during anesthesia, which might be lethal. Many veterinarians have people drop their pets at their office in the morning for additional blood work, catheter positioning, and testing, so it is essential to get there at the time of the appointment.
2. Give your pet a bath on their surgery day
Once your pet is admitted, veterinary surgery professionals will administer sedatives and perform health check-ups to soothe your pet. However, you can help the vet surgeon’s team by giving your furry companion a bath and bringing them clean since the dog’s surgery site will be clipped, disinfected, and cleaned before the surgical procedure.
This will also help ensure that the vet team doesn’t spend too much time cleaning the surgery site. Otherwise, your pet will be under anesthesia longer.
3. Ensure your pet’s vaccinations are up-to-date
Ensuring your dog’s core vaccines are up-to-date protects them and your entire community and family. This is why most pet facilities encourage all visiting pets to be up-to-date with their vaccinations. Pets that aren’t vaccinated are susceptible to life-threatening pet diseases and can also pass these conditions to their fellows and pet parents.
You may check websites like https://www.belmarinanimalhospital.com/ to learn more about the importance of pet preventive care.
When preparing your furry companion for surgery, take your pet in for a pet wellness exam. This is to ensure your pet is healthy and qualified for the surgery they need to take and for veterinarians to know whether your pet should not have surgery if there are conditions that might put their life at risk.
4. Train them with basic commands
If the surgery date is in a week or so, this is an excellent time to improve your pet’s obedience skills. Some essential commands your pet needs to know are stand, sit, stay, and down. The stay command will be helpful after the surgery if you need to momentarily leave your pet to prevent them from following you around your house.
5. Make them a safe recovery space
When preparing your pet for surgery, it’s vital to have a safe place prepared for their healing when you get home. You can also use a big cage for your pet to stand and turn. Put comfortable blankets and padding, so they don’t lie on a hard surface. When selecting an area for your pet to heal, place them in a place with limited traffic that can keep them less socially and physically active to ensure a quick recovery.
